Do You Hear Godβs Voice?
We read in the Bible that “His sheep hear His voice”, but I’ve still questioned if I’ve heard Godβs voice correctly more times that I can recount. Iβve wondered if I was going the right way and Iβve over-analyzed if I was doing the right thing. (As if I have any power to do any of those things well in my own strength.) I know with certainty that it’s impossible for me to do any of those things correctly on my own. I need the Holy Spirit to lead me every step of the way on my faith journey! Jesus our Good Shepherd, is leading us perfectly… even when we don’t realize it.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
Jesus meets many needs for us. In scripture He is called our ‘Good Shepherd’ because He leads His children in the way they should go. He does not allow His sheep to travel alone, but He protects us from all harm.
We can rest assured that Jesus has His eyes on us and lovingly guiding our steps. This brings me so much comfort to know that I do not rely on my own understanding to accomplish God’s plan for my life.
John 10: 14-15 tells us that our Jesus, Good Shepherd of our souls, knows His sheep. Every single one of them.
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
John 10: 14-15 NKJV (Words of Jesus)
As the Father knows Jesus, He knows us. Wow! It amazes me that He is so intimately acquainted with His sheep.
He knows what we are going through and what we need. He knows what we are thinking and the burdens our hearts carry. Jesus knows and He cares!
I love that God’s Word tells me that Jesus is my Good Shepherd, because He lays His life down for His sheep. We can trust Jesus to lead us on the path that will bring us closer to who God and all that He has planned for us.
Where Jesus leads, His sheep follow.
John chapter 10 tells us that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. God’s sheep hear His voice and they follow! A stranger’s voice they will not follow, but they will flee because they do not know the voice of stranger’s.
To Him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.β
john 10: 3-5 NKJV (words of jesus)
We know God’s voice and we follow Him. The proof that we hear God when He speaks is evidenced by the way we respond.
If we know that we walk alongside Jesus, then we can rest assured that we follow God as He’s leading us. It is our instincts as sheep who belong to Him.
Do you trust Jesus to be an effective leader?
I have personally struggled with this truth that I hear God correctly, even though I know He speaks to me. I’ve often wondered if I actually recognize Him when He speaks.
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
βThis is the way, walk in it,β
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
ISAIAH 30:21 NKJV
Through keeping a prayer journal, I can see that I can hear God speaking to me more than I am aware of in the moment. I’m learning that certain thoughts that I’ve considered “random”, was actually me hearing the voice of the Lord. I had dismissed God’s voice as my own voice because I didn’t have confidence that I myself had the ability to hear Him.
It’s such a relief to know that I cannot ‘miss God’ when my heart is intentionally seeking Him.
When I consider it like that, it removes a lot of pressure to be anything but the beloved sheep who loves to follow her Good Shepherd.
God’s sheep do hear God’s voice, and they do follow where He leads!
I believe God wants us to move away from questioning our ability to hear Him, and trust that He is capable of leading us where He wants to take us.
Confidence in Hearing God’s Voice
One of the greatest lies the enemy has rehearsed in the minds of Christ followers is that they cannot hear from God. This is a big fat lie, and it has affected so many in their walk of faith.
The enemy of our souls would love to strip away our confidence in Christ. He would love to have us question if we truly hear God correctly. Consequently, causing us to question if we are on the right path of life, or worse, if we are even saved.
Consider what that deceptive serpent said in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, βHas God really said, βYou shall not eat from any tree of the gardenβ?β
Genesis 3:1 (NASB)
The enemy of our souls has been strategic in his deception from the start. And yet, his tactics have not changed all that much since the garden. We may not know in the moment, but that scheming voice that repeatedly asks, “Did God really say that to you?“, we recognize now that it is the voice of the liar, and deceiver of the brothern.
I can’t even count how many times the voice of doubt has caused me to stop, back-track, and reconsider the promise God had spoken to me very clearly in my secret place of prayer. Despite my momentary unbelief, the Holy Spirit would confirm His promise to me as many times as I’ve needed Him to. Because the Good Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ, does not leave us in our weaknesses.
If we are actively walking with Jesus, He will not allow another to hijack His plans for us while we are walking on His path He laid out for us!! Isn’t that a comforting truth! God has been showing me, where Jesus leads, His sheep are instinctively drawn to follow.
God doesn’t want us to operate from a place of fear and doubt, but rather have faith in His life-giving Word. Seeds of doubt can be pulled up by the root when we know what the Word of God says about us!
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
john 10:27 nkjv (words of jesus)
Isn’t this truth amazingly simple, yet so profound!? We have fought with this notion, yet the Bible couldn’t have said it any plainer!
Satan has lied to us for too long telling God’s children that they are unable to hear from God, or that they hear incorrectly. But we know from the scriptures that God actually expects us to hear Him and to follow Him.
We are the sheep of His pasture. We do hear the familiar voice of our Good Shepherd Jesus, and we follow Him.
God has been opening my eyes and solidifying this truth deep within me. If when our hearts are looking to God to lead us, we will not fail in following! Not only will we not fail, but God can not fail in leading us!
We are the Sheep of His Pasture
Psalm 100:3 tells us that we are God’s people and the sheep of His pasture. Jesus is our Good Shepherd that leads us. We belong to Jesus and that is truly the safest place to rest.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3 (NKJV)
God has been faithful to call us by our name and lead us every step of the way. Even when we don’t see how God is at work in our lives, He’s still carefully leading us to still waters and green pastures.
At times we can’t perceive what is being accomplished in a certain season. But we can be confident that God is guiding our steps and working all things together according to His plans.
We will look back to find that He has been in and through it all, the whole time.
My life is just a living, breathing testimony of God being FAITHFUL to me, over and over again! We serve a faithful God who leads us to the places that will teach us what we need in each season.
God teaches His children the lessons they need to learn in the way they are able to grow from it. He leaves nothing undone!
May we be fully persuaded that we are the sheep of His pasture, and where He leads us, we do follow. When we were brought into the family of God, He gave us the ability to hear His voice. God desires that His glory would be revealed to us, in us and through us!
“His Sheep Hear His Voice” May we follow Jesus our Good Shepherd wherever He leads!
Praise be to God who ALWAYS LEADS US into triumph IN Christ Jesus!!
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Abiding in the love of Jesus and allowing His light to shine through you!
